§ Mr. E. Walkdenasked the Minister of Food what assurances can he give to retailers that turkeys and poultry, as or when collected or imported for Christmas fare, will be equitably distributed; and if he can give details of the different arrangements for the several areas which are to benefit by the scheme.
§ Colonel LlewellinThe arrangements made for the distribution of turkeys and other poultry, both home-produced and imported, provide as equitable a distribution of these supplies as is practicable. Imported supplies of turkeys and other poultry are canalised through a war-time company of importer-wholesalers who allocate them to retailers throughout the country who bought imported produce in 1938, on the basis of their purchases of imported supplies in that year. Arrangements have been made to enable all retailers who handled imported turkeys in 1938 to obtain a share of the imported birds available this year, irrespective of the wholesaler from whom they bought in 1938. The limited volume of poultry imports precludes any wider distribution.
Northern Irish supplies are directed to Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester and Sheffield, and are distributed amongst retailers in those towns on the basis of their sales of home-produced and Northern Irish turkeys and other poultry respectively in 1938 or 1939. The quantity allotted to individual traders has been determined by a local committee in each town on which are represented all organisations of retailers who sell poultry. Edinburgh, Leeds and Sheffield have recently been included among the towns participating in these supplies, but the quantity of birds available does not per- 1251W mit of any further additions to the number of towns to which these supplies are sent.
The distribution of home-produced supplies is not controlled. Higher maximum prices have, however, been authorised for birds sold or sent for sale in most of the more thickly-populated districts. This arrangement should encourage the despatch to these districts of a reasonable proportion of home-produced supplies. Steps have also been taken to prevent evasion of the maximum prices by the sale of pseudo-stock poultry by prohibiting, except under licence, sales other than direct from producer to producer, of stock turkeys during November and December, and of other stock poultry during December.
§ Mr. E. Walkdenasked the Minister of Food what steps he is taking to restrain the import of turkeys as personal gifts from Northern Ireland to friends in England, Wales and Scotland; and whether he will ensure that the large bulk of turkeys exported from Northern Ireland for the Christmas trade will be passed through the official pool of supplies and be sold by recognised wholesalers and retailers.
§ Colonel LlewellinI have made an Order prohibiting, except under licence, the consignment and transport from Northern Ireland to Great Britain and the Isle of Man during the period 26th Novernber, 1944, to 31st January, 1945, of gift parcels of poultry exceeding 7 lbs. gross weight. All turkeys shipped from Northern Ireland for Christmas, other than gift birds sent under licence, will be distributed through poultry retailers' buying groups to those retailers in the eight selected towns who are entitled to receive them.